April 16, 2020
Events:
The UAE Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship confirmed that all UAE residency visas, entry permits and Emirates ID cards expiring after March 1, 2020 will have the validity automatically extended until the end of December. Emirates ID cards that expired on or after March 1 will continue to be valid for bank and government services, and other official transactions up to the end of 2020.
APRIL 18 FLIGHT OPTION FROM DUBAI TO CHICAGO: Emirates Airline will fly a non-stop flight, EK235, from Dubai to Chicago on Saturday, April 18. It is scheduled to depart Dubai at 7:25am. Contact Emirates directly to make your reservation. EK235 is currently the only direct flight available from the UAE to the United States and there are no current plans for further direct flights to the U.S. after April 18. U.S. citizens and Legal Permanent Residents intending to return to the United States, especially tourists and other non-UAE residents, are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this flight option.
Emirates and Etihad airlines are still operating a limited number of flights to Europe and Asia. Emirates flights from Dubai to London and Frankfurt are scheduled to cease on April 26 and April 29 respectively. Please check with the airlines about flights to other destinations.
For additional information and FAQs on flight options from the UAE to the United States, click here.
The U.S. Embassy and Consulate have no plans to arrange repatriation flights to the U.S. Passengers traveling to the U.S. via a transit stop must show their onward ticket to the U.S. in order to board aircraft in the UAE.
Passport Processing. Passport processing centers in the United States are currently unable to process new full-validity passport applications due to COVID-19. U.S. citizens, including families of newborn children without passports, who have verifiable travel plans to depart the UAE within two weeks should contact abudhabiacs@state.gov (for Abu Dhabi) or dubaiacs@state.gov for an appointment to apply for an emergency passport. Until further notice, we can only provide emergency passports with 1-year limited validity. We will schedule normal passport appointments when the passport processing centers reopen.
Notarizing documents. Due to COVID-19, routine American Citizen Services, including notary services, have been suspended. If you need documents notarized, some U.S. jurisdictions allow for remote notarization. Individuals needing to notarize documents for use in the United States may wish to explore the possibility of remote notarization. They may also wish to consult with a local attorney to ensure that remote notarization is permitted under UAE law.
Actions to Take:
- Enroll in the STEP program at https://step.state.gov/ to receive alerts and ensure you can be located in an emergency.
- Confirm the validity of your travel documents, including passports and visas.
- Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date COVID-19 information.
- For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations .
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on state.gov for the latest information.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in the UAE.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions to the U.S.
- Check with your airlines regarding information about your travel plans or restrictions
Assistance:
U.S. citizens looking for options to return to the U.S. can email American Citizen Services at abudhabiacs@state.gov (for Abu Dhabi) or dubaiacs@state.gov (for Dubai and other emirates) or call the U.S. Department of State Repatriation Task Force at 1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada or +1-202-501-4444 from overseas.
U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassies District, Plot 38, Sector W59-02, Street No. 4
+971 2 414 2200
U.S. Consulate General Dubai
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed and Al Seef Streets
+971 4 309 4000
State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444